east-lothian-1924/05-215

Transcription

TRANENT.] -- INVENTORY OF MONUMENTS IN EAST LOTHIAN. -- [TRANENT.

burning and destruction related by the diarist,
a large addition was made, doubling the
previous accommodation (fig. 165).
The 15th century tower is the northern
portion of the structure and is oblong on plan ;
it measures externally 30 1/2 feet from north to
south by 39 1/3 feet from east to west. The
walls stand to a height of rather less than
40 feet and are of light coloured freestone
rubble in parts roughly coursed. They are
built in long stones averaging 2 feet by 10
inches high, but the lower courses of the north
wall are cubical, averaging 1 3/4 feet on face, and
are built in a purplish freestone, which is also
employed for the dressings and the majority
of the quoins ; these are alternately long and
short. Oyster shell pinning is noted throughout
the structure. The voids, which have a broad
chamfer on the jambs and lintel, are filled in
throughout the lower stages of the building,
so that access to the interior is now unobtain-
able. Several windows were altered in the
17th century. These have backset margins
slightly chamfered at jambs and lintels. The
description and illustration given in the
Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland
i., p. 410 shows that the tower contained four
storeys beneath the wall head, which was sur-
mounted by a parapet walk ; the uppermost
storey only was vaulted, and this vault still
appears to be entire but is covered with
vegetation. The entrance to the tower was in
the north wall at ground level through a
doorway with a semicircular head, which
admitted to a lobby in the thickness of the
wall, off which was entered the basement
floor, and to a straight mural staircase ascend-
ing to the first floor ; beneath the stair landing
a prison or pit is contrived, the only access
to which is a hatch. Above the first floor
level the stair is carried upward as a turnpike.
The second floor appears to have been the
principal apartment and contains two mural
chambers, while one of the windows is seated.
The addition, which is L-shaped, projects
southward for a distance of 41 feet, and its
greatest width is that of the tower, 39 1/3 feet.
The walls are of grey freestone rubble un-
coursed. The voids have polished dressings,
which are moulded at jambs and lintel with
the quirked edge-roll. Relieving arches, which
are a constructive feature of the period, occur

123

over every window in the addition. Several
of the upper windows retain the original iron
gratings ; and these are constructed on the
same principle as the iron gates of the period.
At the two southern angles are ruinous turrets,
of ashlar, borne on continuous corbel courses
of six members. Between the turrets appears
a water spout wrought in convolutions. The
re-entering angle houses a projection angular at
base and circled above to contain a turnpike
providing communication between the second
and upper floors. The angle of the adjoining
west wall is splayed beneath a corbelling to
permit a clear outlook to the westward.
The entrance to the later portion was in the
west wall at ground level, and above the
entrance can be traced the panel mould which
formerly bordered an armorial panel. This
entrance opened on a fair sized vestibule, which
communicated with a large kitchen on the
east, with the old tower through an access
formed in its south wall and with a mural
staircase adjoining ; this staircase ascended
from the ground to the first floor, and from this
level the ascent was continued by the turnpike.
The basement floor is vaulted ; the upper floors,
of which there were two between vault and wall
head, were constructed of timber, as was the
roof. There was no parapet walk on the
later portion, but there was certainly a garret
within the roof, as is evidenced by the gable
windows, which possibly were supplemented by
dormers in the lateral walls. The kitchen
has a large fireplace and oven in its north wall,
with lockers in the jambs, and a second and
smaller fireplace in the south gable ; the east
wall has two sinks with slop outlets, while the
west wall has an inlet for water similar to that
noted at Markle (No. 145). The partition
between the kitchen and vestibule is pierced
by a service hatch. The upper floors call for
no special mention.
The castle has been enclosed by a wall,
against which, on the west, are remains of later
outbuildings. The close appears to have been
entered at the south-eastern angle, where is
seen the ruin of a 17th century dwelling. This
structure was two storeys and an attic in
height, L-shaped on plan, and measured 41 feet
from north to south by 45 feet from east to
west ; the re-entering angle contained a little
rectangular tower housing a turnpike. The